[yor_on (OP)]

How do we do it?
Touch?

[Soul Surfer]

Yes  and No !   Let me explain.  None of us has any doubt what touching or feeling an object is like so touching and feeling is a perfectly valid concept.   However when you get down to the atomic and molecular level all the forces involved are localised electromagnetic forces entirely associated with the arrangement of the electronic structure of the materials involved so they are postly repulsive forces due to the electrons getting close to each other (but not touching) and the attractive forces associated with the chemical bonds and residual weaker attractive forces (Van der Waals forces) that hold the molecules in their solid or liquid structures giving surfaces their physical properties.  In general most of the electrons stay in their places but occasionally some may be moved about as in charging objects electrostatically by rubbing them.  Occasionally there is a residual attractive force between surfaces and the surface becomes "sticky".

[RD]

Strictly speaking feeling and touching are not the same.

You feel (perceive touch) with your brain, not with the body part touching (in contact with) an object.

Illustrated by the phantom limb phenomenon where someone can feel a limb which has been amputated.

[Soul Surfer]

RD I appreciate that what you say is true but we are here talking about the normal operation of the senses which are by definition related to the model of our surroundings created by our brain.  By feeling I presume that the questioner is referring to feeling the quality of a surface rough, smooth, hot, cold etc. and not the detection of the presence of a limb and or whether it is in pain.

[yor_on (OP)]

Thanks Soul Surfer, RD.

So, could we then reduce all senses we have to electromagnetic phenomena?

[Soul Surfer]

Yes with the sole exception of the behaviour of mass under gravity absolutely everything that we are aware of is electromagnetic and all our functionality is electromagnetic.

[Geezer]

Yes with the sole exception of the behaviour of mass under gravity absolutely everything that we are aware of is electromagnetic and all our functionality is electromagnetic.

It's true Yoron. You really do have a magnetic personality.

[yor_on (OP)]

Repelling am I?

Now .. .. .

*More Hurt*

[yor_on (OP)]

ahem.

==

Ehh, how about balance, can we reduce that to a electromagnetic phenomena?

[Geezer]

how about balance, can we reduce that to a electromagnetic phenomena?

Physical or mental?

[yor_on (OP)]

Now that's an attractive angle me lad.


I was mainly considering it from a physical level..
Ah.
===

He* Why not ' , ' both?

"But for the absence of a comma"

Loosely paraphrased from
"For want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse was lost "

Am I going mental, enough ?

[Geezer]

Actually, it probably makes no difference. I'm sure they are both, ultimately, electromagnetic.

[yor_on (OP)]

But it remains to prove it...

Didn't Maxwell write something about it too?

[Geezer]

"silver hammer", or the other guy?

[Joe L. Ogan]

Yes with the sole exception of the behaviour of mass under gravity absolutely everything that we are aware of is electromagnetic and all our functionality is electromagnetic.

It's true Yoron. You really do have a magnetic personality.

Not only does he have a magnetic personality, he is a smart son-of-a-gun.  I wish I knew as much as he does about science.  Thanks for comments.  Joe L. Ogan

[yor_on (OP)]

Thanks Joe, you're pretty smart too me thinks.
We both are, and Geezer, although as it seems? He's more into music, I think?
ahem

Anyway, we wouldn't be here, arguing, having a good time, if we weren't curious
Then we have them that actually know what they are talking about too of course.
Not that such ever stopped me from having a opinion

[Joe L. Ogan]

Hi, yor-on.  I did not know that about Geezer.  Now, I understand why I always feel like someone is in the background is playing a violin while Geezer is promulgating his opinion.  Thanks for clearing that up.  Thanks for comments.  Joe L. Ogan

[yor_on (OP)]

The Arch Angels of Doom playing you mean?
Considering he can.. You know, he's actually a ..


♫♪♫ Taaam ♫♪♫ Ta ♫♪ Ta Taaaam ♫♪♫

(Ouch, We better keep this between ourselves Joe, do as I.. Whistle

[SteveFish]

This, perhaps intentionally vague, question is impossibly fun to try to answer, especially the "feel" part. Our perceptions of our environment, like Soul Surfer said involve "the normal operation of the senses which are by definition related to the model of our surroundings created by our brain." The sensory portion of this is pretty well worked out, while the experiential component (the model), which involves integration of all the sensory input, is not.

I have some expertise regarding the sensory portion. Touch involves inputs from multiple sensors that detect temperature, crude and fine touch based primarily on pressure, vibration, joint angle, and tendon stretch. For example, when handling a cube the combination of these sensors can measure its size, hardness (how compressible), and especially detect edges and corners by the areal ratio of pressure sensors that are affected when pressing the fingers against them. In comparison, trying to determine which of two very fine sandpapers is the finest grit, rubbing the fingers over the sandpaper sets up vibrations from the dermal ridges (e.g. finger prints) and vibration sensors can signal very fine differences in frequency, and thereby the grit.

None of the above answers the question, and it is much more boring than the banter, but I just couldn’t pass this up. Steve

[yor_on (OP)]

Who said it was boring?
Welcome to TNS

Reading you reminds me of the claim that blind people actually can feel colors?
Now, you wouldn't happen to know about that?
different heat maybe? But that wouldn't work in a dark room?